Definitely, Maybe
by Areyl
Summary: Wracked with anxiety about an unclear direction for her life after graduation, Maya visits an old familiar ski lodge. She hopes that time away from her family and friends will help her to make some hard decisions. While there however she encounters an old friend that only makes her plans about the future more complicated. What will Maya do in the end? Read and find out! Joshaya
1. Day One

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from** _ **Girl Meets World.**_

 _So I have to be honest; I didn't always ship Joshaya. In fact, I was a pretty diehard Lucaya fan and in some ways I still am. But after seeing the ski lodge episodes, I'm actually glad that Joshaya was made canon. I think Maya and Josh have great chemistry and I hope I can capture even a smidge of that in this story._

 _Happy reading!_

* * *

 **Day One**

Maya Hart had finally arrived at her destination, the Mount Sun Ski Lodge. She stepped off the bus and took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. All around her were colossal pine trees. The sun shined through the leaves, creating glittering patches of light on the ground.

 _Finally some peace and quiet,_ she thought to herself as she adjusted the duffel bag hanging on her shoulder.

With one last glance at the invigorating view, Maya entered the lodge to check into her room. While she stood in line, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and typed a text message to her mom.

 _Maya: Just wanted to let you know that I got here safely. Call you tonight._

Just as she was about to put away her phone it vibrated, alerting her to a new message.

"That was fast," Maya muttered to herself.

To her dismay the name that appeared on the screen was none other than Riley's.

 _Riley: Hey, I've been trying to reach you all day. Are you okay? Where are you?_

Maya stared hard at the message as her thumb hovered hesitantly over the keyboard. Before she could decide what to do, she heard the receptionist call, "Next!" She heaved a sigh of exasperation as she put her phone away and stepped up to the front desk. Replying to Riley's text would just have to wait.

After she had settled into her room, Maya spent the rest of the afternoon hiking along one of the designated trails. She deliberately chose to leave her phone behind and the text message to Riley was forgotten for the time being. With her sketchbook in hand, Maya made frequent stops on her hike to draw anything and everything that caught her eye. Pictures of a babbling brook and a sprightly red cardinal perched on a branch filled the pages of her sketchbook. As much as she enjoyed living in the big city, the tranquility and natural beauty of the forest helped to put her mind at ease.

The sun was beginning to set when Maya returned to the lodge. Soft shades of pink, orange and purple were splashed across the vast sky. The minute she entered her room her eyes immediately flew to her phone on the bed. She had avoided Riley's text long enough.

With a sigh of defeat, she picked up the device and typed out a message.

 _Maya: Don't worry, I'm fine. I just needed to get away for a bit. I'll fill you in when I get back._

Maya hit the "send" button before she could change her mind. She suspected that Riley wasn't going to be happy about her cryptic message but she just wasn't ready to open up. The whole point of this spontaneous trip was for her to get away and she was determined to do just that. All of a sudden, Maya's stomach began to grumble.

"Dinner time," she said as she stepped into the bathroom to wash up.

Afterwards Maya made her way downstairs to the dining hall. Just as she was reaching the bottom on the staircase her foot suddenly got caught on some loose carpeting. She squealed and felt herself stumbling forward. Maya braced herself, expecting to make impact with the floor.

But it never came.

"Are you okay?" she heard a familiar voice say.

Maya looked up to see a pair of brown eyes she knew all too well.

"Josh?" she said in disbelief.

"Maya?" said Josh, equally surprised.

She was suddenly acutely aware of Josh's arms wrapped around her small frame. A happy delirium overtook her senses as she pulled back and smiled at him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, releasing her.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?"

The euphoric feeling left as quickly as it came however when a girl with short wavy hair and piercing green eyes appeared beside him. Several piercings decorated her ears and she bore a small tattoo of a compass on her wrist.

"Thanks again for letting me borrow this, Josh," she said as she handed him his jacket.

Maya frowned and without pretense asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Tori," she replied, raising a curious eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"Maya," she said, narrowing her blue eyes in scrutiny.

The two girls turned their attention to Josh, who stood between them purposely avoiding their gazes.

"Well this is awkward," he joked as he shifted awkwardly in place.

"I'll say," Maya agreed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Just then they were approached by a group of two other boys and a girl, who Maya assumed to be Josh's friends.

"Alright, our rooms are ready," said the guy with black-framed glasses. "We should take our bags up and settle in before dinner."

"You guys go ahead," said Josh looking pointedly at Maya. "I'll catch up with you in a bit."

Josh's friends traded uncertain glances and eyed Maya curiously before heading up the stairs with their things.

"Long time no see, Boing," Maya said once his friends were out of earshot.

"How have you been?" he asked holding her gaze.

"Same old, same old," replied Maya with a knowing smile. "Still up to no good."

"Are you here with Riley?"

Maya slowly shook her head as her gaze fell to the floor. Josh frowned and shot her a quizzical look.

"Does Riley know you're here?" he asked. "Does _anyone_ know you're here?"

He could see her hesitance to answer his question. She stood wordlessly before him, staring at her feet with her hands stuffed in her pockets.

"Maya?" he urged, his patience wearing thin. "What's going on?"

Finally she let out an exasperated sigh and blurted, "Look, my mom and Shawn know that I'm here. But the Matthews don't and I would _really_ appreciate it if you don't say anything, _especially_ to Riley."

"Okay, got it," Josh said, raising his hands up defensively. "But that still doesn't explain why you're here."

"A little mystery keeps the romance alive, Boing," she said flippantly.

Josh regarded her for what felt like long tense moment before shaking his head in defeat.

"Fine, you can tell me when you're ready," he conceded, earning him an appreciative smile from Maya.

"So," she quipped, hoping to shift the focus away from herself. "You're just letting strange girls borrow your jacket nowadays?"

Josh chuckled at Maya's insinuating observation.

"Tori's a friend," he explained. "We're all just here to hang out for the weekend. It's been a long week of exams."

"I see," said Maya, though she wasn't completely convinced.

She felt her stomach grumble again, reminding her of why she had come down in the first place.

"You know, I was actually about to grab some dinner if you and your friends want to join."

Josh's face seemed to light up at her suggestion.

"Yeah, sure," he said with a handsome smile. "Let me just put my stuff away and we'll catch up with you in the dining hall."

Maya watched as he ascended the staircase. It had been several months since she last saw him, and nearly four years since they were in this ski lodge together. Josh had always been the most collected and cool-headed of the Matthews siblings. But something about him now seemed more centered, focused and mature. The changes in his physical appearance didn't go unnoticed by Maya either.

His hair, which was much longer now, was pulled into a sleek bun and his body was visibly leaner and more muscular. Maya didn't always take kindly to changes but she had no qualms about the changes she saw in Josh Matthews.

As promised, Josh and his friends joined Maya for dinner in the lodge's spacious dining hall. Despite the obvious age difference, Josh's friends were surprisingly accepting of Maya's company and happily included her in their conversations. By the end of the evening, Maya had learned all of their names: Derek, Kurt, and Alice. And then there was Tori, who Maya still had some reservations about. She was brilliant, articulate, and edgy. After getting acquainted to her, Maya could see why she and Josh were friends.

Later that night, Maya was sitting in bed contemplating about her day when her text alert sounded. She glanced at her phone and was pleasantly surprised to see a text from Josh.

 _Josh: We're going rafting tomorrow. Want to come?_

Maya smiled, happy that he thought to include her.

 _Maya: Sure, count me in._

 _Josh: Great. I'm glad I ran into you today. See you tomorrow._

She then gazed out at the night sky through her window and wondered what Riley was doing. A small part of her still felt guilty about keeping this trip a secret from her best friend. But major changes were coming, changes she wasn't ready to deal with. After some time, Maya reached into her backpack and pulled out a sealed envelope that was marked with the NYU seal. She stared at it for what felt like an eternity.

She knew she couldn't put this off any longer; she had been avoiding opening the letter all week. It was the moment of truth. She took a pen and slid it across the envelope to break the seal. With shaking hands, she unfolded the letter inside and with a deep breath skimmed it over.

Maya couldn't believe it. She read the letter again, perusing each word carefully. She felt a strange mix of emotions in the pit of her stomach as she groaned in frustration. Her future suddenly seemed vague, unclear, like the murky lake in her neighborhood park.

She fell back onto the soft pillows and gazed out at the sky once more, which was illuminated by the light of the waning moon.

 _So much for getting away this weekend,_ she thought, wishing she could be as far away as the moon. Away from all these changes and uncertainty and indecision. The future was coming with the speed of a bullet train. Whether she liked it or not, she knew she was going to have to make a hard decision. She could only hope it was the right one.

* * *

 _I'd love to hear your thoughts so please take a few minutes to write a review. Thanks a million!_


	2. Day Two, Part One

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from** _ **Girl Meets World.**_

 _I'm very happy about the positive reception this story has been receiving. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to express your thoughts and favorite/follow the story. You guys are great!_

* * *

 **Day Two, Part One**

On a typical day, seven o'clock would have been an ungodly hour for Maya to be awake. But on this particular morning, the eighteen-year-old stepped out into the light of dawn with a bright effervescent smile. In spite of the anxiety that wracked her mind last night, Maya was determined to gain some sense of clarity from this trip. And so with her art materials in tow, she decided to spend the morning exploring another trail.

She was tempted to invite Josh to go with her but ultimately decided against it. She would see him this afternoon anyway. Maya listened to the sound of the ground crunching beneath her boots as she hiked up a steep incline. Her mind wandered to the letter she had read last night from NYU and she sighed.

A part of her believed that the contents of that letter would help make her decision easier. Instead it had the complete opposite effect. Her future plans seemed more unclear than ever. The morning seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. It was just past eleven when Maya got back to the lodge.

Her phone sounded just before she stepped inside. It was a text from Riley.

 _Riley: Seriously Maya, where are you?! I can't take the suspense! Thunder needs her Lightening!_

Maya frowned as she struggled to come up with a response.

 _Maya: You just gotta trust me on this one, Riles. I know I have a lot of explaining to do when I get back._

Josh was coming down the stairs just as Maya walked into the main lobby.

"Hey," he greeted with a small wave. "I was just looking for you. Have you been out all morning?"

"Yeah, I just needed to clear my head," said Maya as she took a swig of water from her water bottle. "Are you on your way to grab lunch?"

"You mean breakfast?" said Josh sarcastically.

The two of them walked together to the dining hall, where they were met with the mouthwatering aroma of the lunch hour specials: spaghetti and meatballs, vegetable soup, and blueberry pie. Josh's friends had already occupied a table in one corner of the room. Maya and Josh joined them after grabbing their plates from the food bar. Everyone was buzzing with excitement about the rafting trip this afternoon. Maya on the other hand just sat and quietly observed the others. She was trying to ignore the interactions between Josh and Tori, who were sitting right across from her.

Though she tried to resist it, she couldn't help but feel pangs of jealously each time Tori laughed at one of Josh's jokes or lightly touched his arm. At one point, Maya started to reconsider joining them for their afternoon outing; but she quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. The last thing she wanted was for Josh to question her maturity.

The plan for the afternoon was straightforward. The group would ride a shuttle over to the rafting station where they would be given an orientation. They would then ride the raft downstream to a second rafting station where another shuttle would be waiting to take them back to the lodge.

During the shuttle ride over, Maya had been gazing out at the blur of trees in the window when she suddenly sensed a movement beside her.

"You've been unusually quiet this morning, ferret," he teased, sliding into the empty seat. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Maya replied, jolted by their close proximity. "Just thinking."

"You seem to be doing a lot of that lately," he observed.

"Well there's a lot to think about."

A certain look passed between them in that moment. Josh couldn't seem to pull his gaze away from Maya's captivating blue eyes, and a part of him felt compelled to hold her hand. It surprised him how much she had grown up in the last three years. Seeing her at social gatherings always felt like a refreshing new start; a chance to get to know another one of her undiscovered layers.

"Hey Josh," said Maya, breaking the silence between them. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

She wrung her hands nervously in her lap as she mustered up the courage to speak.

"This is probably really stupid of me to ask but do you still–"

"Hey guys, it looks like we're here," interrupted Derek, popping up from the seat behind them.

The view in the window opened up to a glittering blue lake while the shuttle came to a gradual stop. Just past the tree line was a wooden building with a large sign that read 'River Rafting'; brightly colored rafts were lined up nearby. Groups of people were scattered throughout the vicinity, some gearing up to go into the water and others taking pictures of the scenery. While everyone on the bus was gathering their belongings and getting ready to leave, Josh turned his attention back to Maya.

"Sorry Maya. What were you saying?"

Whatever courage she had gathered quickly vanished. Deep down she knew that this was neither the time nor place to open up to Josh.

And so Maya just shook her head and smiled, saying, "Nevermind. It can wait."

A burly man named Mitch greeted the group at the entrance of the building. Mitch led them through a lengthy orientation, which covered a review of the equipment, basic rafting procedures, and safety information. Once everyone had signed the waiver, they worked on putting on their life vests.

Maya was pulling her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail when she spotted Josh and Tori out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey Josh, could you help me with this?" asked Tori, pointing to the adjustable straps on her life vest.

"Yeah sure," Josh replied as he stepped up behind her.

He tugged and fidgeted with the straps to tighten the vest. All the while, Tori was laughing and saying something to him that Maya couldn't quite discern. Nevertheless she could feel her blood boil as she turned away from the infuriating scene. Afterwards when they got into the raft, Maya purposefully took the seat in the very back. She wanted to be as far away from Josh and Tori as possible. Josh however was quick to notice Maya's disgruntled expression.

"Are you okay back there, Maya?" he called out. "We can trade seats if you want."

"Nope," she tersely replied, avoiding his gaze. "I'm good here."

Josh was taken aback by her curt response. Though most of his friends didn't seem to notice the abrupt change in Maya's attitude, Josh knew something had undoubtedly upset her. Tempted as he was to get to the bottom of things, he knew that resolving the matter would have to wait. Mitch had taken his place at the back of the raft and began directing the group to depart from the shore.

The exhilarating trip down the river was just what Maya needed to get her mind off of Josh. For the entire forty-five minute ride downstream, she was solely focused on maneuvering the raft through the fast-moving rapids. By the time they reached the second station at the end of the river, Maya's initial anger had abated though not entirely.

The shuttle at the second station was scheduled to leave for the lodge in half an hour. In the meantime, Kurt, Alice, and Tori had walked off to take pictures while Derek chatted with Mitch. Josh decided this was probably the best time to talk to Maya. He looked around and finally spotted her skipping stones by the riverside.

She stood by the shoreline and in one swift motion hurled a stone towards the water. It skipped across the surface a few times before completely disappearing into the river. She then gazed out at the gleaming surface, listening to the calming sound of rushing water. Just then she heard footsteps approaching from behind and Josh soon appeared beside her.

"So can I ask you something?" he asked as he adjusted the beanie on his head.

"Shoot," Maya replied without taking her eyes off the water.

"Aren't you missing school by being on this trip?"

"We're on spring break right now."

Josh chuckled lightly. "You know, most people go to the beach to get some sun on their spring break. Not go on some soul-searching journey on a secluded mountain."

She turned to Josh and shrugged nonchalantly. "Well I'm not like most people."

"No," he agreed with a knowing smile. "No, you're not."

They stood side-by-side in contemplative silence for a few moments. All the while, jolts of electricity coursed through her veins whenever Josh's arm brushed against her shoulder. Maya could hardly contain the emotions that began to clutter her mind.

"So are you going to tell me why you decided to come up here in the first place?"

"Actually I'd rather talk about something else," she replied as she dusted her hands on her jeans.

"Like what?"

"Us."

"Us?" he asked incredulously as if caught off guard.

"I just have to know, Josh." Maya's frustration was reaching its boiling point as the words seemed to just fly out of her mouth. "Are you still playing the long game with me? 'Cause I didn't realize that there were other players involved."

Josh faltered and studied her precariously, wondering what was behind her sudden outburst. He hated to make assumptions but what came to his mind seemed to be the only possible explanation.

"Is this about Tori?"

Maya crossed her arms over her chest and grudgingly turned away from him.

"I told you, Tori and I are just friends," Josh contended, trying to keep his voice even.

"Not from where I'm standing," Maya snapped back as she sent him an icy glare.

Josh's jaw tightened and he blinked at her, unsure of how to respond. He heard the sound of his friends chatting and laughing, but they felt like a world away.

"Look, I'm not going to lie to you, Maya," he said at last. "Yes, I've gone out on dates with other girls. But you've been on dates with guys too."

"So what?" Maya jumped in; her nose flared in anger and lines creased her forehead. "Going out with other girls is your twisted way of getting back at me?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying." The frustration in his voice was as clear as day. "But I thought that was our deal. Remember? You live your life, I live mine? And if someday this happened then…"

Josh gestured between them and let his voice trail off. Maya swallowed hard. The undeniable truth bared its teeth at them like a vicious dog. She had in fact gone out on dates with several guys from school. Most of those dates however never turned into anything serious, and her longest relationship lasted a mere three months.

"C'mon Maya," Josh said as he heaved a heavy sigh. "I thought you were more mature than this."

She could see by the flash of remorse in his eyes that he had immediately realized this mistake. Still, that didn't seem to lessen the blow of his tactless words. Maya's heart plummeted to the put of her stomach. Her rage immediately dissipated; it was replaced instead by a cloud of dejection that seemed to darken her expression.

"Of course," she said sardonically. "How could I possibly be mature about this when I'm three years younger than you, right?"

"Look, I didn't mean it like that," assured Josh, his voice filled with regret.

"That's _exactly_ what you meant," she angrily spat out.

He took a step towards her but Maya backed away like a hurt puppy.

Josh was at a loss for words as their eyes locked in gripping intensity. After what seemed like an eternity, Maya let out a defeated sigh and turned to leave.

"Maya–"

Maya pulled away just as Josh reached out to stop her.

"Just leave me alone," she said, shaking her head.

He didn't follow her when she walked away in the direction of the shuttle. Maya fought back tears as she climbed onboard the bus and slumped into her seat, desperately wishing for this day to end. The long game, she decided, was a joke. _Maybe this is the sign I've been looking for,_ she sadly speculated as her thoughts turned to the letter she received from NYU.

* * *

 _Josh did a big no-no. Stay tuned for the next chapter! Please review!_


	3. Day Two, Part Two

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from** _ **Girl Meets World.**_

 _Thank you again for all your kind reviews! I'm glad to see you guys have been enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it._

 _So fair warning, the next chapter may take me a while to post. I don't have it drafted out like I had with these previous chapters so it'll take me some time to write it. Plus, my personal philosophy has always been never to post a half-assed chapter._

 _Anyway, happy reading!_

* * *

 **Day Two, Part Two**

When the shuttle arrived back at the lodge, Josh and his friends headed for their rooms to freshen up before dinner. Maya on the other hand decided to sit by the bay window and text Shawn about the rafting trip. As she did so she saw Josh ascending the stairs out of the corner of her eye. He stopped halfway up and she sensed him glancing at her. Maya refused to acknowledge him however and continued to preoccupy herself with her phone until Josh disappeared upstairs. Just then Maya sensed a shadow pass over her. She glanced up and locked eyes with Tori.

"Mind if I sit down?" Tori asked with an unassuming smile.

With some reluctance, Maya gave an indifferent shrug and said, "Be my guest."

"So I have a boyfriend," Tori abruptly stated as she sat down.

"What?" Maya's brow knitted in confusion.

"He wanted to come this weekend but he had to work."

Maya blinked as if stupefied by the sudden revelation.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked with narrowed eyes. "Did Josh put you up to this?"

Tori shook her head and smirked. "You like him, don't you?"

The unexpected question caused Maya to blush. "Maybe a little…"

The older girl shot Maya a dubious look, which essentially told her that there was no use in denying the truth.

"Okay, maybe a lot," she admitted, rolling her eyes. "Am I _that_ obvious?"

"Maybe a little," Tori teased, giving her a knowing smile. "I saw you two talking by the river earlier. You seemed upset about something so I just put two and two together."

An awkward silence settled between them like an unwelcomed guest. Maya shifted uncomfortably under Tori's keen scrutiny. Questions raced through her mind but she couldn't seem to bring herself to ask them.

Then, as if an attempt to break the silence, Tori says, "Josh has gone out with other girls, you know."

Maya let out a deflated sigh as her mind flashed back to her argument with Josh earlier that afternoon.

"Yeah, don't remind me."

"But I've only ever seen his face light up when he talks about one girl in particular. And even though he's never mentioned you by name, I knew right away that girl was you from the minute I met you."

Maya's ears perked up upon hearing this and her eyes darted in Tori's direction. She could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"How do you know all of this?" she eagerly asked.

"Josh is one of my best friends," Tori stated matter-of-factly. "And I make it my business to look out for my friends."

The thought of Riley, Lucas, and Farkle immediately entered Maya's mind. She felt a sudden ache in her heart in realizing just how distant she had been from them lately.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," she empathized.

"Look, all I'm saying is don't be so quick to write him off. Josh is crazy about you. He's just too damn stubborn to admit it."

A heady, elated sensation had overtaken Maya's senses. Tori's pep talk seemed to summon a renewed feeling of assurance in Josh's feelings for her. And yet, even after the talk, she didn't feel quite ready to face him so she spent the rest of the evening hiding out in her room.

She had just finished talking to her mom on the phone when she heard a sharp knock on the door. Maya stood before the door and hesitated, suspecting who was on the other side.

"Maya?" a familiar voice called. "It's Josh. Can we talk?"

After some deliberation and a deep breath to calm her nerves, she finally opened the door to find Josh waiting in the hall. His brown eyes widened expectantly at the sight of her.

"Hey," he said with gentle approach.

"Hey." Maya leaned on the doorframe. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"Listen, I just want to apologize for this afternoon," Josh said contritely. "It was stupid of me to call you immature. You're growing up to be someone beautiful and confident and don't ever let anyone make you doubt that. Not even me."

Whatever anger she felt towards him had long dissipated, leaving only the compelling urge to run into his arms and embrace him. Nevertheless, Maya tried to keep her composure.

She gazed fixedly at him before saying, "I'm sorry too, Josh. You were right. We had both agreed to live our own lives and it's totally your prerogative if you want to see or talk to other girls."

She hated to admit it but it was the plain and simple truth. Their deal didn't bind them to an exclusive relationship with each other. She would be naïve to think that Josh didn't pursue other girls just as she pursued other guys.

Just then Josh took a step towards her as his lips curled into a suggestive smile.

"The problem with other girls is that they're not you, Maya."

She felt her breath hitch in her throat. "So does that mean the long game is still on?"

"It was never off."

Their eyes met in an unspoken understanding and, for a brief moment, the world around them seemed to come to a halting standstill.

At length, Josh cleared his throat and said, "So the lodge is hosting a movie night downstairs. Do you wanna go?"

"Yeah, I'd love to," Maya replied with a wide grin.

Together she and Josh made their way to the common room where the movie night was being held. Luckily the movie hadn't started as everyone was still busy trying to find seats and get settled. They searched the crowd for Josh's friends and finally spotted them sitting in an area near the TV. Kurt, Alice, and Tori were lying on their stomachs on the floor with pillows tucked under their chins, while Derek sat on the couch behind them. Derek waved to them and then patted the empty space next him on the couch.

"Maya!" Josh's friends rang out as she and Josh approached them.

"Glad you decided to join us," Tori said, shooting her a knowing look.

Maya blushed slightly as she plopped down beside Josh. She shifted around until she found a comfortable position and leaned back on the couch. After she pulled a wool blanket over her legs and handed a generous portion to Josh, who gratefully accepted it. Then something happened that took her by complete surprise. As the lights dimmed and the movie began, Josh reached under the blanket and laced his fingers with hers. She glanced at him astonishingly. He simply smiled back and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

The movie was blissful blur for Maya. She couldn't remember a thing that had happened nor any of the characters' names. But she didn't care. One thing was for certain. She was determined to hold Josh's hand for as long as he let her. There was something about the warmth of his hand that just felt right. It all felt like a dream that she didn't want to wake up from.

After the movie Josh offered to escort her back to her room. They walked together in awkward silence as they made their way up to the third floor; Josh was sharing a room with the guys on the second floor.

"I gotta say Boing," Maya said as they reached her door. "We should really consider holding hands more often."

Josh smiled affably at her, and Maya secretly wished the night wouldn't end.

"Do you realize that this is the first time we've been together without my crazy family butting in?" he mused.

Maya laughed in a way that nearly made him forget to breathe.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she agreed after giving it some thought. "It's kind of nice."

Neither one of them made a move as they stood face-to-face in the quiet corridor. There were many things Maya wanted to say, to share with him. The letter from NYU came to mind. And yet, she left them unsaid. She resolved to just enjoying this rare moment alone with Josh, to leaving it untarnished by her certainty about the future.

"Well I should probably be heading back," Josh reluctantly said.

"Yeah, you probably should," Maya agreed, trying to mask the disappointment in her voice.

Then for the second time that night, Josh did something unexpected. He pulled Maya close and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. She gasped and felt her heartbeat quicken. Afterwards Josh took a step back and smiled affectionately at her.

"Goodnight, Maya," he said in a hushed voice before walking away.

"Goodnight, Josh," was all she could manage as she watched him disappear down the hall.

* * *

 _Don't hesitate to review and share your thoughts! Thanks a million!_


	4. Day Three, Part One

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from** _ **Girl Meets World.**_

 _Just a quick note. I changed the rating for this story from K+ to T, only because this particular chapter has some sensitive content. Believe me, it's nothing overt or flagrant but I'd rather be safe than sorry._

 _Anyway, thank you all for being so patient! Enjoy the new chapter!_

* * *

 **Day Three, Part One**

The next morning, Maya woke up to see the soft early morning sun radiating through her window. She stretched her arms contentedly over her head and laid in bed for a few extra minutes, gazing at the ceiling. Her mind was consumed with thoughts about Josh as she recalled the feel of his hand grasping hers, the sensation of his warm lips on her forehead. It all still felt like a dream. At the sound of her text tone, Maya grabbed her phone from the nightstand and spotted a message not from Riley, but from Lucas.

 _Lucas: In case you didn't know, Riley's losing her mind over not knowing where you are. She's on the verge of organizing a search party to look for you._

Maya chuckled to herself. Typical Riley.

 _Maya: Well reign her in, Lone Star. Isn't that what you cowboys are good at?_

In a matter of minutes, she received a reply.

 _Lucas: Seriously though, are you okay? Riley's not the only one worried you know…_

 _Maya: I'm just trying to figure some things out. I promise, I'll fill you guys in when I get back tomorrow._

It touched her to know that Lucas was concerned enough to reach out to her himself. In the years following the triangle fiasco, they had become closer as friends. Where Riley always saw the best in her, Lucas kept her grounded even if that meant getting into occasional spats about trivial issues.

Before getting out of bed, Maya decided to take a selfie and send it to Riley for good measure.

 _Maya: See? I'm alive and not locked up in a dungeon somewhere. Call off the search party._

After getting dressed, she went downstairs to find Josh and Derek having breakfast in the dining hall. Alice, Kurt, and Tori had left for an early morning hike. The smell of bacon and waffles wafted in the room as people sat around tables and chatted in low voices. All throughout breakfast, Maya and Josh exchanged furtive glances and timid smiles. Derek was blissfully unware of this as he helped himself to a second plate of waffles.

"So Maya," said Derek in between bites. "Aren't you graduating in a few months?"

Maya tensed, knowing exactly where his question would lead.

"Yup," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "That's right."

"Have you been accepted anywhere?"

She swallowed hard and picked nervously at her food with her fork. Though she was purposefully avoiding Josh's gaze, she could feel his eyes fixed intently on her.

"Yeah, a couple of places here and there."

"Are any of those places NYU?" Josh straightforwardly asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"No, I'm still waiting to hear back from them," Maya lied, keeping her head low.

Maya could feel the pressure of Josh' scrutiny as if he knew what she was leaving out. She hated to lie to him but this wasn't a conversation she was ready to have, especially with an acquaintance like Derek present.

"Well, hopefully it's good news," Josh said at last.

"Yeah, me too," agreed Maya, relieved that he had decided to drop the subject.

"Josh and I are graduating this year too," Derek chimed in as he adjusted his glasses.

"Oh my god, you're right. I always forget that Josh started college a year early." Maya's head snapped towards him in apparent surprise. "What are you planning to do after you graduate?"

"I'm thinking about getting my Master's in English with a specific focus on writing and composition," he said before taking a gulp of orange juice.

"At NYU?" Maya uttered the question before she could stop herself.

"That's the plan. I just found out this week that I got accepted into the program."

"Josh, that's great." A genuine smile spread across her lips. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," he said, looking her straight in the eyes. "So, you know, if you get into NYU I'd definitely be around to annoy you a lot."

Maya chuckled nervously as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I guess we'll see."

Shortly after breakfast Maya was sitting by the bay window, contemplating about the conversation with Josh and Derek, when Josh suddenly plopped down beside her.

"What are you doing today?" he asked, sounding markedly cheerful.

"I didn't really have anything in mind," she replied, looking him once over. "Why? What's up?"

"I thought we could spend the afternoon together. Just you and me."

Maya faltered, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

"What about the others? What are they doing?"

Josh leaned over to rest his elbows on his knees and replied, "There's a small town nearby with some shops the girls want to check out. Kurt and Derek are out in the wilderness somewhere, trying to get in touch with their inner woodsman. So that just leaves you and me. What do you say? I thought we could go to the lake and do some fishing."

They could've gone to the lake to stare at rocks for all she cared. The point was she would get to spend a whole afternoon with her sought-after childhood crush.

She failed miserably to suppress her smile. "You do realize you're asking me out on a date, right?"

"Is that a yes?" he asked glancing pointedly at her.

"That's a hell yes," Maya stated with an affirmative nod.

After lunch, they rented some fishing equipment and folding chairs from the front desk and headed out. Being with Josh felt like Christmas morning. Maya could feel the sparks fly each time her arm brushed against his on their walk to the lake. And she was almost certain Josh could feel it too. They exchanged stories like old war veterans; Maya talked about her time in high school, and Josh about his last few years in college. As Josh talked about going to college parties and pulling all-nighters, Maya tried to imagine herself as a student living out the collegiate experience. She also wondered, with some reservation, what that life might look like with Josh in the picture.

Puffy white clouds floated along the crystal blue sky as a cool breeze blew, creating an idyllic weather for fishing. When they reached the lake, Josh found a perfect spot underneath the shade of a tall pine tree. While Maya set up the folding chairs, Josh dug through the tackle box and got to work preparing the fishing poles.

"So how are Riley and Lucas doing?" he asked as he tied a hook to the line.

Maya had found herself a long branch and was scribbling in the dirt nearby.

"Still going strong," she absentmindedly replied. "Even after that minor hitch last year."

Josh turned to her with sudden interest. "What happened last year?"

She bit her lip and mentally kicked herself for her indiscretion. Josh noticed Maya's hesitation and grinned in amusement.

"Looks like someone's got some juicy gossip to share," he playfully prodded. "C'mon, Maya, out with it."

"It's nothing. Forget it," she asserted, turning away from him.

"I promise," insisted Josh. "Everything you say out here will stay between you, me, and the trees."

A long tense silence ensued as Maya fought the urge to crack under pressure. But her efforts proved futile.

"Fine!" she relented, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "But you can't talk to Riley about this. In fact, don't ever mention _any_ of this to your brother."

Josh gave a triumphant smile and drew a cross over his heart. "Scout's honor."

It was on rare occasions like this when Maya felt the absolute awkwardness of having a crush on her best friend's uncle. And what she was about to tell him wasn't going to make things any less awkward. With a deep breath, Maya proceeded to tell him about the "hitch" as she and Riley had come to refer to it.

Last year, Riley and Lucas had reached a point in their relationship where peer pressure and hormones pushed them to the brink of having sex. Maya was careful to leave out specific details, like the fact that Riley had invited Lucas over on a night when her family was out of town with the intention to lose her virginity. Somewhere in between making out and undressing each other however Riley's resolve had wavered. She told Lucas that she couldn't go through with it and he somehow took her rebuff as a scathing form of rejection. The incident severely strained their relationship. When a distressed Riley revealed everything to her a few days later, Maya was dumbstruck. She had no experience of her own to draw from so she had no idea how to comfort her best friend. Luckily Riley and Lucas were able to work through it in the end, much to the relief of their friends.

As Maya reached the end of her narrative, she paused briefly and glanced over at Josh. If he felt at all perturbed by her account, he didn't show it. In fact, he appeared unfazed, as if the whole incident between Riley and Lucas was to be expected.

"So anyway, in the end, I think they both decided it was better if they just waited," Maya stated. "You know, until they were both ready."

Josh nodded his head solemnly, considering her words. "That's good. Sex isn't really something to rush into."

Almost immediately a burning question entered her mind.

She shifted uneasily in placed and, before she could stop herself, asked, "What about you? Have you been with a girl in that way before?"

As soon as she heard herself ask the question out loud, she wished she could take it back.

"Actually yeah," Josh said after a long tense pause. "It happened a few years ago. Before you and I even made our deal."

He hastily added the last part as if it would lessen the blow of his revelation.

"Oh," was all Maya said as she suddenly felt self-conscious about her own limited experience.

"Long story short, she and I jumped into it before we were ready," he admitted with some regret. "And let's just say it really complicated things."

She could tell by the look in his eyes that the regret of his experience weighed heavily on him.

"I'm not saying I would necessarily wait until marriage," he mused after some time. "But I guess if I could do it all again, I would at least wait for the right person and the right time."

Maya remained silent on the matter as she gazed at her abstract doodles on the ground. She had never really thought much about sex mainly because she had never felt that way about someone before. Even in her short-lived high school flings, Maya never allowed herself to become too close to any of the guys she dated. Constantly having her guard up was the terrible side-effect of having a father who abandoned his family. In spite of her self-awareness, Maya constantly struggled with opening up to people. Josh however seemed to be one of the few exceptions in her life.

"It's almost ready," Josh announced, pulling Maya from her thoughts.

Once the bait was set, he walked over to her and handed her a fishing pole. She glanced at the fishing pole to Josh and back with a puzzled look on her face.

"Am I supposed to know how to use one of these?" she asked, arching her eyebrow skeptically.

"You're kidding right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Maya asked, feigning a deadpan expression.

Josh shook his head in amusement and then stepped behind her. He placed a firm hand on her left shoulder and used his other hand to guide her movements. Maya instantly felt the hairs on her neck bristle with excitement at the feel of Josh's firm chest against her back.

"Is this just your way of getting me to put my arm around you?" he asked in a low voice that sent goosebumps down her spine.

Maya smirked playfully at him and replied, "It worked, didn't it?"

Josh chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Okay look. You're going to throw the line back and then forward, towards the water. As you're swinging it forward, be sure to release the lock on the reel so the line can go out further."

He showed her how to release the lock and then stepped back to let her try on her own. After a couple of clumsy attempts, Maya was finally able to smoothly swing the fishing line into the water. Meanwhile, Josh had prepared his own pole and had soon released his line into the lake. Maya watched with affectionate eyes as he took a seat beside her.

"So now what?" she quietly asked.

"Now we wait," Josh replied, flashing her a handsome grin.

Maya let out a contented sigh as a comfortable stillness enveloped the space around them. Without thinking, she leaned her head on Josh's shoulder and gazed out at the sparkling lake before them. As first dates go, this was by far her best one yet.

* * *

 _In the next chapter, I'll finally reveal whether Maya was accepted into NYU (yay!). I'm sure you all have your suspicions already. Don't forget to review! I enjoy hearing your thoughts!_


	5. Day Three, Part Two

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from** _ **Girl Meets World.**_

 _So sorry for the long wait. Life has a habit of getting in the way of updates. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!_

* * *

 **Day Three, Part Two**

If trees could talk they would reveal all the things Maya and Josh shared with each other that crisp spring afternoon. They had had deep conversations before, often during family gatherings at the Matthews's home, but those were far and few between. And though they had occasionally texted each other over the years, those exchanges were fleeting and shallow at best. Maya had always known the broad strokes of Josh's personality; but on that particular afternoon it was the subtle nuances about him that captivated her.

It was just before four o'clock when they decided to pack up and head back to the lodge. They had released all the fish they had caught back into the water. As Maya was folding up the canvas chairs, she suddenly spotted a glint of silver on the ground. She squinted curiously at the small object partially buried beneath the dirt and knelt down to pick it up.

"What do you have there?" Josh asked, noticing her wiping something in her hands.

"A mood ring," she replied, holding it up to the sun. "Someone must've dropped it."

Josh watched her slide the ring onto her right middle finger. She waited a moment as the colors melded together until the center crystal turned a shade of blue-green.

"You know those things don't actually work, right?" Josh scoffed as Maya neared him.

"Since when were you an expert on mood rings?" she retorted. "Besides it's just for fun. Here."

She pulled out her phone and searched for a mood ring color chart online. In a matter of minutes, several hits appeared on the screen.

"According to this," Maya said, choosing a chart with thorough descriptions. "A blue-green color means that I'm feeling relaxed, happy or content. That sounds about right."

She smiled, satisfied with the appraisal of her emotional state, and then lifted her eyes towards Josh.

"Okay, you're turn."

Josh frowned doubtfully. "Maya, that ring won't even fit me."

"Sure it will. Just put it on your pinky."

Before he could protest, Maya grabbed his hand and slid the ring onto his smallest finger. When the ring stopped about halfway down his finger, Josh shot her a look as if to say _I told you so._ Maya ignored this and waited as the colors in the center crystal swirled into a deep shade of blue with violet undertones.

"So what's the verdict?" asked Josh as Maya glanced at her phone.

"It says here that a bluish-purple color denotes passion and the feeling of being in love."

She nearly stumbled on her words as she read the last part aloud.

Her voice was quiet, almost timid, as she asked, "Does that sound accurate to you?"

Maya's blue eyes fluttered upwards and met Josh's gaze. In that instant the world around them seemed to dissolve away as an expectant pause hung between them. The intense beating of her heart pounded loudly in her ears. It was as if an invisible force was drawing them together. Josh stood close, so close that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body, enticing her. As his head dipped low, all rational thought escaped her.

But just before they could close the gap between them, the sound of snapping twigs reached their ears. Maya and Josh quickly turned their heads towards the direction of the sound where a man and his two kids emerged from the trees. The man carried with him fishing poles and a tackle box as the kids excitedly ran to the water's edge. The moment and all its intensity was lost as Maya self-consciously stepped away from Josh. The man acknowledged them with a friendly nod, and Josh responded back with a tight-lipped smile and small wave.

"I should um–" Josh swallowed hard as he tried to gather his bearings. "I'll grab our stuff."

Maya felt a pang of disappointment as he moved away, and she wondered what would have happened had they not been interrupted. Had Josh really meant to kiss her? Was he in love with her as the mood ring suggested? They were ridiculous thoughts to ruminate on, but these thoughts followed her on the walk all the way back to the lodge.

Later that night, Maya was in her room staring yet again at the letter from NYU. Josh and the others had left to go to a local bar in town shortly after dinner. Maya had declined the invitation to join them mostly because she was determined to settle the matter she had come here to resolve in the first place. Her time at the lodge was running out and she still remained indecisive about her future. To make matters worse, the awkward incident with Josh that afternoon had left her even more muddled and confused.

She sat cross-legged on the bed, unfolded before her was the crisp white letter. She retrieved the mood ring she found from her pocket, and twirled it around on her finger while she weighed her options.

Feeling a ball of anxiety build in the pit of her stomach, Maya fell back on her pillows and let out an aggravated groan. At length, she reached for her phone on the nightstand and looked for Shawn on the contact list. Several rings went by before a voice come through on the other line.

"Hey, I was just thinking about you."

"Hey Dad," Maya greeted, happy to hear his voice.

Even after all this time, the word _dad_ still had a way of making her heart flutter. It wasn't a word she used lightly. It had been a whole year after Katy and Shawn were married before Maya had felt comfortable enough to call Shawn her _dad._ It had happened by complete accident too. They were out grocery shopping when they ran into Maya's art teacher from school. Without thinking, Maya introduced her teacher to Shawn by saying, "Dad, this is Mr. Jackson." The rest was history.

"So you ready to come home tomorrow? We miss you over here."

A tender smile spread across her lips. "Yeah, I miss you guys too. Where's Mom?"

"She's giving Liam a bath. Do you wanna talk to her?"

"No, that's okay. I actually wanted to talk to you."

There was a brief pause on the other line before Shawn said, "Did you make a decision yet?"

"What?" Maya asked, startled by his unanticipated question.

Though she had asked her parents for permission to go to the lodge that weekend, she hadn't mentioned anything about the NYU letter, only that she needed some time to get away and decompress. She glanced at the letter at her feet, unsure of how to answer his question. Shawn seemed to sense her hesitation.

"It's okay, Maya," he reassured. "I know you have some tough decisions to make. Just know that your mom and I will support you no matter what you decide. We're proud of you, you know."

Maya tightened her grip on her phone as her eyes became misty with tears.

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot."

"Just as long as you don't run off and marry that Matthews kid," he added, his voice suddenly taking on a stern fatherly tone. "Where is he anyway? Is he with you right now?"

Maya rolled her eyes at her father's absurd insinuation. "Relax, will you? He's out with his friends."

As Shawn launched into his protective father soapbox, Maya silently regretted her decision to tell her parents about running into Josh this weekend. But deep down, she appreciated the hassle of Shawn's protectiveness. It meant that he cared and for that she was grateful.

Not long after getting off the phone with Shawn, Maya received an unexpected text from Josh.

 _Josh: Can you meet me by the fireplace in five minutes?_

A meeting by the fireplace struck Maya as odd, like something out of those romance novels Riley liked to indulge in from time to time. Maya read over the text a second time and then a third time before finally responding.

 _Maya: Sure, see you soon._

Odd emotions were brewing inside her like a storm rolling over the ocean as she descended the stairs to the common room. She immediately spotted Josh standing at the hearth with his hands in his pocket, staring thoughtfully at the glowing fire. The sight of him appeared to her like a classic oil painting, the kind that would be hung on the wall of a grand library.

His back was turned to her and he didn't seem to be aware of her presence in the empty room; so Maya cleared her throat to signal her arrival.

"I should warn you, Boing," she said approaching him. "Guys have a tendency to lose their mind over me by firelight."

Josh chuckled as he turned to face her. "I'll take my chances."

"So what's up? Why did you wanna meet down here?"

He was about an arm's length away now. Though Maya may have appeared calm, cool, and collected, inside she was a nervous wreck.

"I guess I just wanted to see you." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"That might be the alcohol talking," she said half-jokingly.

He smirked, taking a step towards her. "I only had one drink so I'm actually pretty sober right now. Can't say the same for Kurt though."

Maya let out a breathy laugh as she fidgeted uneasily in place. They stood in silence for a moment, listening to the crack and hiss of the flames. At length, Maya took a deep breath to summon her courage as she moved away to take a seat on the couch.

"I wanna show you something," she said as Josh sat down beside her.

She pulled out the NYU letter and handed it to him.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked, blinking in surprise.

"Just read it," Maya urged, pushing the letter towards him.

He tentatively unfolded the letter and began reading for what felt like a stretch of eternity. As his brown eyes glided across the page, his tense expression seemed to gradually brighten. He had barely reached the end of the letter before he looked at Maya with an ecstatic smile plastered on his face.

"Maya, this is great!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Josh," she said, returning the gesture with feigned enthusiasm.

But Josh saw right through her. He pulled away and shot her a bewildered look.

"Why does it feel like I'm the only one excited about this?" he cautiously asked.

Maya's gaze dropped to the floor as she nervously wrung her hands in her lap. For a while, she didn't answer, she _couldn't_ answer.

"Maya," Josh persisted. "Is NYU not your first choice? Did you get accepted somewhere else?"

The fire seemed to roar, matching the intensity of her emotions. She pursed her lips as she tried to gather her thoughts and organize them into coherent sentences.

"Remember when I told you about that volunteer abroad trip I took with Riley two summers ago?"

"You mean the one you took to Costa Rica with your Spanish class?"

Maya nodded and gave a small smile. "That trip made a huge impact on me, you know. Your brother has always taught us that people change people. I always knew that was true on some level, but the trip really made me realize the kind of difference I can make."

For a brief moment, she paused and glanced at Josh to gauge his reaction. But his eyes remained impenetrable and his countenance gave little away.

"So anyway, I after that trip I did some research and started to seriously think about taking a gap year after high school," Maya continued.

"Gap year?" Josh repeated. He was vaguely familiar with the idea and even had some friends who had taken a gap year before going to college.

"Yeah, I ended up applying to that same organization that sponsored our high school trip," she explained. "And then last week I finally heard back that they accepted my application. If I go through with it, I'd be on my way to Costa Rica again in August."

Josh was stunned to hear how thoroughly she had thought this through. Maya, in all the years he had known her, was not a planner especially when it came to life-changing decisions.

"So then what's stopping you?" he asked, though Maya sensed he already knew the answer.

"That," she abruptly replied, her eyes darting to the letter in his hand. "Riley and I have always talked about going to college together. She already made up her mind to go to NYU and I'm supposed to be with her. _That_ was the plan."

The frustration in her voice was as clear as day.

"And then after spending this weekend with you I–"

"Let me stop you right there," Josh interrupted, gently placing his hand over hers. "Maya, I don't wanna be the reason that holds you back from pursuing something you really want."

Her head snapped towards him, shocked by his response. Josh simply smiled back at her and squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"How do you know what I want?"

"It's pretty obvious," he said, inching closer to her. "Your eyes light up when you talk about taking a gap year to go abroad. If you ask me you've already made up your mind. You're just too stubborn to admit it."

He smirked playfully at her as Maya felt the blood rush to her face.

"But what about us?"

"What about us? As far as I know, we're still in it for the long game. I'll be right here waiting until you get back."

For the first time since arriving at the lodge, a wave of relief washed over her. She felt light as a cloud, no longer burdened by any fears or doubts about the future ahead. And yet, she still felt a tinge of sadness at the thought of not being with Josh for another year. Though a part of her wanted to express this to him, Maya remain decisively silent.

"There's something I've been wanting to do," Josh softly said after a while, breaking Maya from her thoughts. "But I'm worried that it's going to make this whole process even harder for you."

She glanced down at their hands still intertwined on her lap and asked, "What is it?"

Josh hesitated a moment before saying, "I'd really like to kiss you, Maya."

A small gasp escaped her lips as her eyes flew to his face.

"You're not saying anything," he stated as he began to lean towards her. "You have to say something if you want me to stop."

But Maya said nothing. In fact, she froze with eager anticipation though her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. Josh was mere inches away from her face. This was it; there would be no interruptions now. Without another word, Josh gently cupped Maya's face with his hand and paused for only a brief second before catching her lips in a tender kiss.

Josh's lips were so warm and soft against her own that she soon found herself drawn to his embrace and kissing him back. Whatever doubts or reservations they felt towards each other melted away and they were both overcome with a heady sensation that neither one of them ever imagined feeling from one kiss.

"You're right," Maya said, pulling away to catch her breath. "This is not gonna make me change my mind _at all_."

Josh laughed as he closed the gap between them for another, deeper kiss. His arms moved to her waist as Maya encircled hers around his neck. An electrifying surge of energy coursed through her body, making her skin tingle with excitement.

When they pulled away for the second time, Josh leaned his forehead against Maya's, and she could feel his enticingly warm breath upon her lips.

"I'm not ready for this night to end," he breathlessly confessed.

All at once, Maya is struck with a thought.

"It doesn't have to," she brazenly says in a voice barely above a whisper.

The firelight danced across her face, making her blue eyes dazzle in its glow. Josh gazed questioningly at her as Maya rose to her feet and gently tugged on his arm in a way that made her intentions quite clear. A look of understanding passed between them as Josh stood and followed Maya up to her room.

* * *

 _I hope I haven't overloaded any of you with all the Joshaya fluff. Please leave a review! Thanks!_


	6. Day Four

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from** _ **Girl Meets World.**_

 _I am SO sorry for the delay. I know I've been keeping you all waiting on the edge of your seats for this new chapter. I hope I don't disappoint! Happy reading!_

* * *

 **Day Four**

Maya's eyes fluttered open to the sound of rushing water coming from the bathroom. The side of the bed where Josh had slept was still warm. She smiled and brought her fingers to her lips, recalling the sweet sensation of his kisses from last night. Beneath the blanket she was still fully clothed. Josh had been, as he always was, the perfect gentleman.

Maybe he feared Shawn's wrath or that his good conscience wouldn't let him take advantage of the situation – Maya liked to think it was a combination of both. Either way, Josh had made it clear that he had no intentions of sleeping with her. Maya, on her part, had no qualms about this. She was just happy to be with him. And so with sex off the table, Maya and Josh had fallen into a peaceful night's sleep wrapped in each other's arms.

Minutes later, Josh emerged from the bathroom to see Maya smiling radiantly at him from the bed.

"I hope I didn't wake you," he said as he crawled into bed beside her.

"It's okay," she said, snuggling close. "I have to be up to pack anyway. My bus comes at nine."

They laid in companionable silence for some time. Josh tucked one arm behind his head as he wrapped the other around Maya, who was tracing tiny circles on his chest with her finger.

"There's no way my friends are gonna let me live his down," said Josh with slight amusement in his voice.

With a furrowed brow Maya shifted slightly to look at Josh, resting her chin on his chest.

"What do you mean? It's not like anything happened."

"That's not gonna stop them from being assholes about it," he said jokingly.

"Do they think I'm too young for you?"

Maya cringed a little after hearing herself ask the question out loud; she hated to sound so insecure.

"Of course not," Josh reassured as he caressed her wavy hair. "They like you."

Maya narrowed her blue eyes questioningly at him. "Have you ever thought about calling quits on this game that we're playing?"

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged and replied, "I know we say we're in this for the long haul but sometimes I wonder how long is too long. How long before one of us just gives up?"

Josh fixed his brown eyes on her, unblinking.

"Are you thinking about giving up?" His voice was tentative, unsure.

"No," Maya replied. "Are you?"

"After last night, I'd be crazy to let you go."

In that instant, Maya felt Josh pull her towards him. Without pretense he covered her mouth with his in a passionate kiss, turning her so that she was laying beneath him pressed into the soft pillows.

"Don't think you can just kiss me every time you wanna shut me up," Maya murmured as Josh pulled away to nuzzle her neck.

After a brief pause, Josh let out an exasperated sigh and said, "Alright, I should probably go. If I'm lucky, I can sneak back into the room before the guys wake up."

"Okay," Maya conceded with a slight pout of her lips.

"I'll see you at breakfast in half an hour," he said, giving her one last kiss before getting out of bed.

Maya stayed in bed even after Josh left the room. She laid staring at the ceiling in blissful disbelief at the events that had unfolded. But shortly after the quiet stillness of the room settled around her, a disheartening thought pervaded her mind. If her relationship with Josh could change so vastly in the span of four days, she could only imagine what one whole year apart could do to them. Even with Josh's support and encouragement, Maya still felt unsettled about her decision to take a gap year. No to mention that she still had yet to discuss the matter with Riley. What would her best friend have to say about her missing out on their freshman year in college?

In spite of herself, these thoughts clouded Maya's mind all morning. Luckily breakfast with Josh and his friends provided her with a brief period of reprieve from the brooding. And as Josh had predicted, his friends – particularly Kurt and Derek – were quick to ask insinuating, albeit good-humored, questions about Maya and Josh's night together. Maya blushed bright red from their amiable teasing, while Josh deflected their speculations with casual ease.

Before they knew it, the time for Maya to leave the Mount Sun Lodge had arrived. The bus pulled up to the front of the lodge just as she was exchanging good-byes with Josh's friends in the main lobby. Afterwards Josh walked out with Maya and helped her carry her things to the bus. Each step to towards the vehicle was another step closer to the inevitable good-bye that she wasn't ready for.

Once her belongings were placed into the luggage compartment on the side of the bus, she and Josh turned to face each other. The thoughts and feelings that couldn't be said in words were expressed through the particular look that passed between them. At length, Maya reached into her pocket and pulled out the mood ring she found by the lake.

"Here," she said, holding the ring out to Josh. "I want you to have this."

Josh made no motion to take the ring and instead shot her a skeptical glance.

"You know I don't believe in that."

"I know," Maya said as her lips curled into a suggestive smile. "But the magical ring seems to think you're in love with me."

"The magical ring also thought that Kurt was anxious about something at breakfast this morning when it just turned out to be gas."

The two shared a laugh and the tension immediately lifted. As Josh took the ring from Maya, he grasped her hand and pulled her closer to him. He didn't seem to care that his friends could see them from inside the lobby.

"I don't know about love but I do care about you a lot," he murmured.

Maya smiled and nodded understandingly. "I care about you too. Which is why I wanna give you something to remember me by. To let you know that no matter where I am, I'm still in this game with you."

"Fair enough," Josh said with earnest smile. "I'll hold on to it for as long as you need me to."

"Good, you better."

She then went up on her tiptoes and pulled Josh into a sweet lingering kiss. The commotion around them momentarily seemed to dissolve as they became lost in their embrace. Only when the driver made a final announcement to board the bus for departure were they brought back to the present moment.

"I'll see you around," Josh said, leaving her with a gentle kiss on the forehead.

Against every fiber of her being, Maya pulled away from Josh and boarded the bus. As soon as she slid into her seat by the window, she glanced out and searched for him in the crowd. He was still standing at the same spot, waving at her. They exchanged smiles and their eyes remained locked onto to each other until the bus departed from Mount Sun Lodge.

The two and half hour ride back home was bittersweet. Though Maya was excited to go back home and see her family and friends, she found herself fiercely missing Josh. To pass the time and cope with her sadness, Maya pulled out her sketchbook and slipped on her headphones to listen to music. Using her colored pencils, her hand moved deftly across the page leaving a trail of abstract patterns in its wake. Only when she held the drawing at arm's length did she realize that she was sketching a silhouette profile of Josh.

Before she knew it, she finally arrived at the bus station where Shawn met her with open arms. They went back to the apartment where Katy had prepared a special lunch for her homecoming. As soon as she stepped through the threshold, Maya rushed to hug both her mother and two-year-old brother, Liam. Then as the family gathered around the table, Maya recounted for them the e vents that had transpired over the last four days. She deliberately left out details about the intimate moments she shared with Josh. When asked about her plans after graduation, Maya reassured her parents that she would tell them her final decision after speaking to Riley.

That afternoon, Maya climbed up the fire escape that led to Riley's window and was slightly surprised when she heard several voices coming from inside the room. Through the glass pane she spotted Riley and Lucas sitting by the bay window, looking through pictures on Riley's laptop. They had just scrolled onto a picture from when Maya and Riley were little girls, ice skating in Central Park for the first time. Maya smiled tenderly at the memory.

"Well speak of the devil," Lucas said as Maya crawled through the window.

Before Maya could straighten herself out, Riley pulled her into a fierce hug. "Peaches! Thank goodness you're back!"

She struggled to keep her balance and breathe as she squirmed against her best friend's overzealously tight embrace.

"She won't be around for very long if you keep hugging her like that," Lucas remarked from his seat by the bay window.

Upon hearing this Riley immediately released Maya who pulled away and gasped for air.

"Geez, have you been lifting weights while I've been gone?" Maya said as she tugged on her clothes.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, you know," Riley said, sternly placing her hands on her hips.

"I know," Maya agreed with an apologetic smile.

Lucas smiled at the two girls as he stood up from his seat. "Well I think that's my cue to leave."

Maya frowned. "Wait, don't you wanna hear this too, Ranger Rick?"

"I do," Lucas said as he stepped towards her. "But I think it's more important that you two get a chance to talk first. You can catch me up tomorrow over pancakes. My treat."

"Deal," Maya said as she reached out to give him a hug.

Lucas then turned to Riley and gave her a peck on the lips before leaving the room through the window. Afterwards Riley resumed her seat and glanced at Maya expectantly, patting the cushion beside her. With a knowing smile and a roll of her eyes, Maya plopped down next to Riley. This was it; the moment of truth. Once again Maya recounted the last four days at Mount Sun Lodge, only this time she divulged some of the details about what happened between her and Josh to Riley. Her friend listened with unabashed intrigue.

"So wait, you made out with _my uncle_?" Riley asked incredulously.

"Is that really the only thing you got out of everything I just told you?"

"On one hand, I'm thrilled to hear that you finally got to kiss the boy you've been crushing on for years," Riley continued, disregarding Maya's question. "And yet on the other, I'm kind of disturbed by the fact that you made out with _my uncle_!"

"Riley," Maya firmly said, cupping her friend's face in her hands. "Focus."

"Right, sorry," Riley said with a sheepish grin. "Well it sounds like you have your mind made up."

Maya frowned as she regarded Riley hesitantly. Sacrifices had solidified their friendship over the years, but Maya wondered if this particular sacrifice was going to test rather than strengthen them. Riley simply gazed back at her with an understanding smile, patiently waiting for Maya to give voice to her thoughts.

"You're not mad, are you?" Maya reluctantly asked. "I know it's not exactly what we had planned."

Riley shrugged and said, "Plans can change. Sometimes we have to learn to change with them."

"I swear the older you get, the more you sound like your dad," Maya joked.

Riley smiled as her gaze fell to the floor. "I had to do a lot of thinking myself these past few days."

"Oh yeah? About what?"

"Going to NYU."

Maya faltered, then shifted in her seat to face Riley fully. "Wait, this is news to me. Where else were you thinking about going?"

Riley pursed her lips before replying, "UT in Austin…with Lucas."

Maya's blue eyes widened in surprise. "You mean Lucas isn't going to NYU?"

Riley sadly shook her head. "Apparently upholding the family tradition of going to UT means a lot to him. And being close to my family and going to NYU means a lot to me."

Maya was at a loss for words as realization hit her with the force of a train. Up until now she had found comfort in the fact that at least Lucas would be Riley for the first year of college if she couldn't be. But all that changed in the blink of an eye.

"So then what?" Maya said, blinking disbelievingly. "Are you guys gonna try to have a long distance relationship?"

"Yup." Riley nodded her head slowly, making her brown bangs fall across her face. "We're gonna give it our best shot. If this is something Lucas feels like he needs to do, then I don't wanna hold him back."

Josh's words echoed in Maya's mind as Riley said this. Before she could respond she felt Riley place her hand over hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"And that goes for you too. If you really feel like this gap year is the right thing for you, then do it. Don't worry about me; I'm a big girl. I'll be right here when you get back."

The look in Riley's eyes indicated to Maya that there would be no winning this argument. Riley, like Josh, was giving her the green light. Slowly but surely, Maya's future was becoming less of a shapeless enigma that loomed over her with frightening urgency. Slowly but surely, her future was becoming more defined, clear, and achievable.

Maya stretched her arm across Riley's shoulders and said, "Sometimes I don't think I deserve you."

Riley just rolled her eyes as she leaned into her friend's embrace. "Shut up. You know you'd do the same for me. Can I just ask you one favor?"

"Sure, anything. Just name it."

"When you marry my Uncle Josh, please don't make me call you Aunt Maya."

* * *

 _But wait! There's more! No seriously lol. There will be an epilogue following this so please stay tuned! And don't forget to review!_


	7. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from** _ **Girl Meets World.**_

 _And at least we have finally reached the end of this story. If I haven't said it enough, thank you to all my wonderful readers. And a special thank you to those who have taken the time to write a review and share your thoughts. Your feedback has been helpful in crafting this story._

 _So anyway without further ado, I present to you the final chapter of the story. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Epilogue**

With a clearer direction for her future, Maya gradually gained a renewed sense of motivation and enthusiasm. She knew she had made the right choice the moment she had contacted the organization to inform them that she was accepting their offer to go to Costa Rica in September. The months that followed were a whirlwind of excitement and anticipation. But they were also marked with an underlying sense of trepidation and sadness. Major changes were afoot. Riley would be going to NYU, Lucas and Zay to UT, Farkle to MIT and Smackle to Yale. For more than four years, they had navigated the rough waters of middle school and high school together. It seemed inevitable and yet still hard to believe that they were now all going off in different directions.

Eventually the time for graduation arrived. The momentous day was filled with an overwhelming flurry of congratulatory speeches, camera flashes, and exuberant embraces. Just the week before, Josh had also graduated from NYU. To honor both occasions, Katy and Topanga collaborated to host a big celebration at the café. Close friends and family alike were invited to partake in the festivities.

It was Maya and Josh's first time being reunited since their stay at the Mount Sun Lodge. Though they tried to keep their interaction light and casual, they couldn't help but steal glances at each other from across the room throughout the party. In time those stolen glances became stolen kisses in the back storage room of the café. Luckily only Riley was privy to the couple's secret rendezvous.

Throughout the summer, Maya worked part-time at the café to earn some extra pocket money for her trip. The days she wasn't working were spent babysitting Liam, having countless sleepovers with Riley, and exploring the city with her friends. Once in a while, she and Josh would stay up late into the night talking on the phone. For the most part however Maya kept in touch with Josh sparingly, worried that she would become too attached before leaving for Costa Rica. The lighthearted mood that accompanied the beginning of summer began to shift towards the end of the season. In the first week of the August, Maya and Riley organized one final get-together with their friends. Three days later, Lucas and Zay both left for Texas. It was a particularly difficult time for Riley who, despite trying to put on a strong front, was devastated by Lucas's departure. A week after, Farkle and Smackle also left for their respective universities and soon Riley would be leaving to move into her dorm in NYU.

Maya and Riley spent most of August helping each other pack and shop for essentials. When the day came for Riley to move into her dorm, Maya accompanied the Matthews to NYU. The campus was bustling with bright-eyed eager freshmen also moving into their new residence. Josh also joined them much to Maya's delight. Towards the afternoon, he offered to take the girls on a small tour around campus while Cory, Topanga and Auggie went out to eat. Josh held Maya's hand throughout their walk and Maya cherished each sweet moment, knowing that it would be her last time seeing him for several months.

A week later, merely a few days into September, it was Maya's turn to leave. The morning was marked with bittersweet emotions as Shawn, Katy, Liam, and the Matthews accompanied her to the airport. Maya and Riley were gazing up at the giant monitor that displayed all the arrivals and departures, looking for her flight number. She would be boarding her plane in half an hour. They rejoined their families who were surrounded by people exchanging tearful goodbyes and rushing to their designated terminals.

"You have all your essentials packed?" Shawn asked, tenderly gazing at his step-daughter. He had given her a digital camera for her graduation gift, knowing she would put it to good use in Costa Rica.

"You didn't forget to pack your toothbrush or extra underwear, did you?" Katy chimed in as she Liam's position in her arms.

"Mom!" exclaimed Maya, bringing her palm to her forehead in embarrassment. "Trust me, I didn't forget anything. Ask Riley. She was with me last night going through that unnecessarily long checklist she wrote."

"Are you _sure_ you didn't forget anything?" came an unexpected voice.

Maya swiftly spun around to see Josh standing behind her with a handsome grin tugging on his lips. Curiously enough, he had on him one backpack and a small carry-on luggage. She faltered and blinked in disbelief at the sight before her.

"Josh?" she stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"I may have forgotten to add him on the list," Riley said as she playfully nudged her best friend.

Maya's brow furrowed in response. "What's going on?"

"Well after giving it a lot of thought and talking with my advisor and family, I decided that maybe a gap year would do me some good too," he said, taking a step towards her.

Maya's breath caught in her throat as she tried to process what he was saying.

"I don't get it. How is this even happening? What about NYU?"

"NYU agreed to defer my acceptance to the Master's program for a year. And Riley helped a lot with getting my volunteer application to the right place. I also talked to your parents beforehand to make sure it was okay that I went with you on this trip."

"You guys knew about this?" Maya asked as she turned to her family with misty eyes.

"For the record," Shawn sternly stated. "I'm not _completely_ thrilled about Junior Matthews going away with you to an exotic country for a whole year but…at least I know he'll take good care of you."

The look of understanding and approval in everyone's eyes told Maya that they all generally shared the same sentiment. Her heart swelled with euphoric joy at this unexpected surprise.

"Is this really what you wanna do?" Maya asked, still overcome by shock.

"This is really what I wanna do," Josh said with sincere conviction. "Besides we've played this game long enough, don't you think?"

A wide smile spread across her lips and in her elation she kissed Josh, shocking everyone around her. Riley looked on with girlish delight while Shawn stood nearby clenching his fists and taking deep breaths to quell his rising temper.

"The joys of fatherhood, eh Shawnie?" Cory jokingly said as he patted his friend's shoulder.

"Ahem," Shawn said, ignoring Cory's comment. "Overprotective father standing right here."

Maya pulled away at the sound of her father's voice, her face flushing bright red with embarrassment.

"Sorry," Josh hastily uttered, though he struggled to suppress his smile.

"You guys better get going," Topanga advised as she glanced at her watch. "Your plane will be boarding soon."

Upon hearing this, Maya started her round of goodbyes, giving each person and tight heartfelt embrace.

"I love you, kiddo," Shawn said as he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I love you too, Dad," she said, hugging him for a few seconds longer.

Shawn was usually reserved about displaying his emotions but even Maya could see that he was struggling to hold back some tears.

"Take care of Mom while I'm gone, okay?" she said to Liam as she embraced both him and Katy.

As Maya turned her attention to the Matthews, Katy glanced at Josh and said, "You take good care of my baby girl, you hear me?"

"I promise," Josh sincerely said with nod.

At last, Maya reached Riley. They stood face-to-face both teary-eyed and overcome with emotion. For a brief moment, the bustling commotion around them seemed a world away.

"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Riley said in between sniffles. "Josh wanted to make sure all the paperwork was through and the flight was booked before we let you know."

"Best graduation gift ever," Maya said, choking back her own tears. "Thank you."

Unable to put their feelings into words, they reached out and pulled each other into a fierce embrace. They knew the time for their inevitable separation had come and yet neither one felt ready to let go.

"Have a good trip, okay?" Riley said. "And be sure to use the bear repellant I got you. I know there probably aren't any bears out there but I figured it'd work just as well in the Costa Rican wilderness."

Maya chuckled as she pulled back and gazed at Riley. "Thanks, Riles. Good luck to you too. Blaze the trail for when I get back."

Riley smiled understandingly and then raised the hand on which she wore her friendship ring.

"Thunder."

"Lightening," Maya replied, raising her own hand to grasp Riley's.

Soon after a boarding announcement for Maya and Josh's flight was made, prompting them to finalize their goodbyes and head towards their terminal. As they rushed off, Maya took one last glance at the people she loved the most. After seeing the encouraging smiles on their faces, she grasped Josh's hand and together they wove through the crowd of travelers. Though she was sad to temporarily leave behind one extraordinary relationship, Maya confidently stepped into the future knowing she was about to embark on a new adventure and new extraordinary relationship with Josh.

* * *

 _Once again, thank you for all your support, encouragement, and kind words. You guys are the best!_


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